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17th-century Polish coin auctioned in New York

14.01.2022 09:00
A unique Polish gold coin, believed to have been minted to commemorate the nation's victory over the Turkish army at the 1621 Battle of Khotyn, is expected to be offered for sale in New York at an auction opening at Stack's Bowers Galleries on Friday.
A monument in honour of King Sigismund III Vasa in front of the Royal Castle in Warsaw.
A monument in honour of King Sigismund III Vasa in front of the Royal Castle in Warsaw.Photo: Wojciech Strozyk/Alamy Stock Photo via PAP

Known as an 80 Ducats coin, it has a pre-sale estimate of between USD 300,000 and USD 600,000, but according to Brian Kendrella, the president of Stack's Bowers, it is likely to fetch a much higher price.

Kendrella described the coin as "unique," adding that it is closely related to the famed 100 Ducats issue of the same year, with the same size and diameter, but a thinner planchet.

The coin was minted at the Royal Mint in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz. It features on the front a portrait of Polish King Sigismund III Vasa, who ruled from 1587 to 1632.

The king is depicted without a crown and with a shoulder plate adorned with a lion's head.

The reverse side features the crowned coat-of-arms of the Republic of Poland of the time.

Stack's Bowers Galleries is one of the world’s top rare coin auction firms.

The Battle of Khotyn, or Chocim, was waged from September 2 to October 9, 1621 between a Polish-Lithuanian army and an invading Ottoman imperial army.

(mk/gs)